Mr Evan Mcneely, Mr Connor O'brien and Mr Jeremy Martin and I had all been planning for the last month to show up with mustaches and mullets. We showed up looking dirty as can be. Sounded like the word got around as people were asking about on facial and behind the head hair competition within the 'cross competition. In the weeks leading up I was almost more amped for the hair showdown than the race!
Our U23 National Championship was set to be a hard one with about 5 riders having the chance to pull on the red and white. After a slow and cautious start Mcneely went to the front through the tight stuff and start riding away, Stafford was the only other one able to ride away from the group, since my legs were not feeling super hot I missed the move and didn't even have the chance to try and bridge. So I sat in a chase group and took turns with Jeremy Martin, Andrew L'esperance, Bailey and a new first year rider. Right when things were settling in and I started to feel a little more comfortable my chain decided it was time to break, and it was 2.5 km to the pits. Which meant I would have gotten lapped if I tried to ride and jump on my spare bike. DNF'ing is one of the things I hate the most doing in cycling. I can count on one hand how many DNF's I've had, and I hate that number when it rises. I've been through some hard times and always come back because I feel it truly shows your character. From broken handlebars, 3 broken chains in ten minutes, flats, broken seats, cuts, sprains and so on that I've made it through a broken chain just sucks, but that is 'cross, one dab of foot can lose you the race. I was pretty down all day but I needed to turn that around. Went out for some beers and giant calzone downtown Toronto. Even saw the CN tower.. Thanks to the legend Scott Kelly for a wonderful evening. Congrats to Mcneely, him and Jarred were in a league of their own today, as well as congrats to teammate Jeremy Martin for 3rd. We also did some major heckling for the Elite race, all of the top 6 U23's are good buds so we made of people, tried to make Watson quit, made fun of Glassford's Paleo diet, and even got Shep to give a mustache salute at the finish, in what he called on his last lap “a salute to a pube 'staches”. Way to go for shep taking the W back to back years.
Waking up Sunday with a no pressure and a “I don't give a sh*t” attitude I was ready for the National Revenge race. Had my beautiful Rocky Mountain Team 'cross steed all ready to rock, along with my spare bike. Pretty fortunate to have two bikes, equipped with full shimano dura-ace drivetrain, carbon dura-ace wheels, maxxis tires, easton cockpits, fi'zi:k saddles, honey stinger products, planet foods, fox racing shox to name a few of our sweet sponsors. Rolled over the start early to see if anything had changed. Someone had broken the bike wash and it had created two giant mud bogs on corners. Then the rest of the course was perfectly dry and fast. Rode some laps and felt way way better than yesterday. Contemplated hopping barriers but didn't want to crash and embarrass myself in front everyone. Today was the mixed U23/Elite race. I was fortunate enough to get a front row call up. From the gun I was good and in control. Stuck 2nd wheel to Mcneely and then took the leading heading into the hills and corners, didn't want to get caught up in the chaos. Then I could also ride my own pace and sort of rest a bit. Once Mcneely started riding away myself, Mike Garrigan and Aaron Schooler formed the chase group and rode together for a couple laps. Once Garrigan fell back, in which it saw like in pictures he was doing running 360's over the barriers..) Schooler and I took turns, we kept Mcneely at about 15-20 sec for a while, but then with about 3 laps to go we slowed a bit not wanting to do tons of work, then with 2 laps to Schooler laid down a huge dig on one of the climbs and I was hurting but for this I had to absolutely turn myself inside out to hold his wheel, I knew if I did that we would stay together to the end. I took the lead into the run up we were riding the next lap and I crested the hills with jelly feeling legs, but I kept the pressure on through the tight technical downhill switchbacks. With a 3-4 sec gap there I laid everything I had down trying to not make any errors and pushing the limits on every corner, riding faster than I had all race. I had to ride to the top of the next two climb like they were the finish. Then the gap opened more through the mud bog corners and I cruised in for 2nd with a 20 second gap on 3rd. I definitely got some revenge today. It was still unfortunate yesterday, but today made up for that. Plus Evan squared got to stand on the podium together with our gorgeous mustaches and mullets. I even raced with a chain breaker this race just in case something happend again..!
Ended off the 2011 race season with some higher spirits than I thought I would after Saturday.
It's now time for a good break that consists of some Denny's breakfasts, some DH shuttling. So pretty much everyday will be a super awesome fun day!
Since its now official, I am moving to Park City Utah for the winter! Staying with some great family friends and going to live the life. Skis, bikes, snowshoes, and gym clothes are packed and ready for some use! I am a winter person so being somewhere with snow is key for me.
Stay tuned this fall/winter some videos I'll be making to keep everyone everyone updated on things. They will be called sUPER aWESOME fUN tIMES.
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